Kobe Bryant’s Cousin Trying To Make Philadelphia 76ers

The NBA can barely handle Kobe Bean Bryant, but now his cousin is balling on Philly’s summer league team … John Cox, Bryant’s relative, is a big point guard who has spent time in the French pro ranks … Click here for news and analysis …
The Philadelphia Inquirer reports on John Cox suiting up for the summer league team:

John Cox, who has an impressive basketball pedigree, enjoyed his two professional seasons in France, but there is nothing like playing at home.

And in the NBA.

Cox, who was a standout guard at Philadelphia’s Engineering and Science before attending the University of San Francisco, is a long shot to make the 76ers’ roster, but he is plugging away in minicamp. He is hoping for an invitation to the summer league in Las Vegas, where the Sixers will begin play Friday.

"It’s been good here in my hometown," Cox said after yesterday morning’s workout at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. "I’m familiar with a lot of the staff and some of the players."

His father, Chubby Cox, was a Philadelphia Public League star at Roxborough who attended Villanova for two years and finished his career at San Francisco.

And Cox has a cousin by the name of Kobe Bryant, with whom he has remained close throughout the years.

"Kobe is always encouraging me and telling me to keep working," said Cox, who added that after his summer-league duties, he expects to work out with his cousin.

For now, Cox is working at point guard. At 6-foot-5, he has the height to play the position and the versatility to move to shooting guard. In 34 games for Le Havre of the French League, he averaged 14.4 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.7 assists this year.

"It’s been a good experience, even off the court – a different culture and different way of life," Cox said.

But?

"It’s not the NBA, which is everybody’s goal," he said.

Cox, who will turn 26 on Friday, wasn’t drafted in 2005 after his senior year at San Francisco. This is his first NBA camp, and he has caught the eye of Sixers coach Maurice Cheeks.

"When you are looking at the point-guard position, you are looking for a guy who can run your basketball team, defend the point-guard position, and make his other teammates comfortable, and he does that extremely well," Cheeks said.

Cox hopes it is well enough to earn him a trip to Las Vegas.

My Quick Take: Cox is a longshot to make Philadelphia’s roster. But I’m rooting for him. After all, Cox has got to be somewhat entertaining and newsworthy-he’s related to !